


Shifting World

by jabotus



Series: A Vampire's Soul [1]
Category: Blade (Movie Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, M/M, Mpreg, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 10:24:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15947426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jabotus/pseuds/jabotus
Summary: Scud couldn't lie any longer and tells Blade he is a spy. Blade sends him away while he deals with a new kind of vampire.





	Shifting World

“Pack up your things. You’re leaving.”

Of all the things he thought Blade would say that wasn’t even on the list.

“But I…”

“I already knew.” Blade met his eyes and Scud flushed in shame. He’d been stupid to think he could hide what he was.

“Okay, B. You got it. I’m outta here.”

This wasn’t good. Scud had expected absolute fury at his betrayal being confessed, enough that Blade would at least threaten to kill him. Death was the best he could hope for and death at Blade’s hand would at least be quick. By kicking him out onto the streets…well Damaskinos’ goons would find him in a manner of hours. His master would not be pleased about his failure to stay by Blade’s side. Scud shuddered to consider what awaited him when he was picked up. 

Trying not to show how scared he was, Scud reached for a joint that wasn’t there. The old man had thrown out the last of his stash after finding him in the bathroom puking his guts out. So it had been a bad batch, shifters didn’t always react the same way as humans did to drugs. Since then too much had happened to get more.

“Whistler!” Blade called out into the warehouse.

Scud jumped up. “Ok! Ok! I’m going! No need to sic the old man on me.” Blade, however, blocked the only exit from the office.

“What is it?”

“You still have those contacts in the U.S.? That group, night stockers.”

“You mean the nightstalkers? Yeah. Why?”

“I need you to call them. Tell them we’re sending someone to them who needs protection. Are they shifter friendly?”

Stunned Scud stared at Blade. He didn’t…he couldn’t…he’d been spying on Blade for a vampire! He was a familiar. Blade hated familiars with a passion!

Whistler had moved to the office and glanced at Scud, eyes squinting at the druggie. There was no love lost between them. He knew Whistler disapproved of him, even more so after finding out he and Blade were fucking.

“All right, I’ll make the call. Don’t know how they feel about shifters though.”

“Then he’ll have to keep his mouth shut about that.”

Blade looked over his shoulder at Scud. “You can do that right? Lie if you have too.”

Scud cringed and nodded. Whistler didn’t like not knowing what was happening, but didn’t question it this time. No doubt, he’d pester Blade later.

“And tell them his name is Josh. Joshua Frohmeyer.” Whistler nodded and went searching for his phone.

Blade turned back inside the room, still blocking the door.

“Any vampires know your real name?”

Scud scoffed at the thought. They didn’t care enough to know. “Mostly no. Mas…Damaskinos may. And if he finds out I’ve ran…”

“You’ll be in another country by then.” Blade turned his back to Scud, ending the conversation, but Scud, stupid always stupid Scud, couldn’t let it end there.

“Why? Why are you doing this? I’m not that good of a lay. Not worth this much protection.” Scud bit his lip as soon as he said it. They never, ever spoke aloud about what they did.

For a long while, Blade stared at him, long enough for Scud to yield and drop eye contact. He had to fight the urge to bare his throat to the dhampir as well. Stupid shifter instincts.

“Because you may still prove useful.” Scud waited until he was sure Blade was gone from the room before he moved. He squashed the feelings of disappointment that erupted from those words. Blade barely tolerated him. Hoping there had been something more to Blade wanting to keep him safe was juvenile. Their relationship was…scratch that…there was no relationship. Blade didn’t feel the same. Why the hell would he care for some slutty mutt who was such a disappointment his parents sold him to vampires?

 

~

 

Five minutes was all it took for Scud to pack up all he owned. Then he wondered over to his work bench at the half finished projects. In his time with Blade, he had been allowed free reign to make whatever his imagination led him to invent. It had been fun. And safe. Blade had made him feel safe for the first time in his life. He couldn’t regret telling Blade the truth about his espionage.

“What’s this?” Scud glanced at the orb Whistler held up. Oh, he’d forgotten about that.

“It’s a UV flash grenade.”

“No shit. It work?”

“ ‘course it works.” Scud snatched it out of the gnarled fingers and set the timer. He set it on the bench and stepped away. Ten seconds later, the light poured out nearly blinding them both. Scud’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes at Whistler’s surprise. His last gift to Blade and he wouldn’t even get to demonstrate it for him.

The last thing had been the hidden arm blade. It had worked perfectly. Blade had been so pleased that when he came back that night, he’d actually dragged Scud to the bed before fucking him. It’d been rough as it always was, but having a soft mattress underneath his hands and knees was a pleasurable change.

“Hey kid,” Whistler snapped his fingers too close to his face and Scud jerked back.

“Yeah?”

“Go to this address and ask for Marcus. They’ll take you in.” The old man handed him a slip of paper.

“Then what?”

“They fight vampires too. Make ‘em weapons.”

Scud tucked the paper into his pants. And then wait for Blade to decide what to do with him. There had to be more than banishment right?

“Look kid, it’s for the best. You’re distracting him from his mission.”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say old man.”

Whistler’s eyes narrowed, but before he could retort, Blade called out from the top of the stairs.

“Taxi is here Scud.”

“Well, be seeing you.” Scud grabbed his duffle bag and hurried to the door. Best make a quick getaway before he did something stupid like beg Blade to keep him around.

“Wait.” Conditioned to obey, Scud stopped at Blade’s command. He clenched his teeth together to keep his mouth shut.

“Here.” Blade held out an envelope. Scud stared at it until Blade pushed it against his chest. Blade’s lips twitched like he was going to say something and for a moment, his eyes soften as he regarded at Scud. Scud’s heartbeat sped up just a little as hope built up inside. Maybe Blade did see him as more than just an easy fuck. Scud would settle for just about any appreciation that Blade offered at this point. Friendship was out of the question after his betrayal and more than that…well Scud had grasped from a very young age, nobody could ever love a freak like him. His feelings for Blade were completely one-sided. He knew it and hated himself for it.

Whistler, the bastard, cleared his throat and the usual hard stare returned to Blade’s eyes. Scud dropped his gaze and took the envelope.

“You’ve earned it.” And Blade spun around in his dramatic matter that normally made Scud roll his eyes, but not this time. He took a moment to look inside the envelope and felt the hope curl up and die as he saw the cash stuffed inside. Even after years of being a vampire fuck toy they had never managed in one single gesture to crush Scud’s spirit as Blade had just done in this moment.

“Better get going or you’ll miss your flight,” Whistler nodded to the door.

Scud didn’t even bother saying he hadn’t even booked a flight out yet so there was no flight to miss. He shoved the envelope into his jacket pocket and fled.

 

~

 

Josh Frohmeyer stepped off the bus and took in the sights and smells of California. The stench was nauseating and the trash littered bus station didn’t improve his impression. Still it was better than the last time he was in America when he’d been living in a vampire whore house. When Asad had bought him and told him he was going with him to Czech Republic, he’d expected he’d never return to his home country. If pressed, Josh wouldn’t even be able to say how long ago that was. The passage of time for a slave was more an awareness of when you were allowed to sleep, eat, and perform for your master.

His fists clutched at the slip of paper in his pocket, fighting back the fear. A runaway slave is what he is now. If he was found, death would be preferable to what vampires would do to him. A group of strangers were his only chance now. A gnawing in Josh’s stomach brought him back to the here and now. Food was his first priority. Then weed. Then he would find this group who called themselves the nightstalkers.  What a cheesy name.

Josh hoped now his trip was over, his stomach would settle. Whether it was the traveling or anxiety, he’d been unable to keep any food down, except he’d been sick before Blade sent him away so maybe it was the Czech food.

It was only a short walk to find a cheap fast food place where he scarfed down a hamburger and fries. Maybe too fast, he thought a few minutes later when he was puking in an ally a few blocks away. After wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he took a slow breath. Fuck this! He was going to starve to death if it kept up. He’d never been sick like this before and he was at a loss of what to do. Shifters rarely get sick and no way was he going to a doctor. No telling what they might do if they found out he wasn’t human let alone the nightstalkers! For all he knew, they killed anything not human they crossed paths with.

Taking a few more deep breaths, Josh backed to the opposite wall and slid down to the ground. Maybe he should reconsider going to them for protection. He was out of his master’s immediate clutches. He had a fake id, money, and some know how. It wouldn’t be too difficult to disappear from the supernatural world. Only…only he would never see Blade again. His chest tightened at the thought even as he cursed himself for being so weak. Blade hated him so why was it so difficult for him to get over the half vampire. Just because Blade was the first one to treat him as a real person and not property didn’t mean a thing. Not really. It was only further proof of how much of aberration he was. Falling in love with the person he was spying on, who knew he was a spy, and who will most likely put a bullet in his head the next time they meet. And yet a meeting he was looking forward to if only to see and smell Blade one last time.

Dragging his duffle bag over, Josh unzipped it and pulled out a shirt he’d stolen from the pile of dirty laundry before he left. It was Blade’s and still had his scent on it. Pressing it to his nose, Josh took a long whiff and let the odor calm him. God, he was pathetic. Blade was continents away fighting against a new breed of vampire and here Josh was hiding in an ally, smelling his sweaty clothes. Damn he needed to get high, if only to chase away these feelings for a few minutes.

Tucking the shirt back safely into his bag, Josh straighten his back and glanced around. He cleared his nose regretfully before using his enhanced senses to look for traces of other shifters. Too many conflicting smells including his own vomit had him moving back to the sidewalk. A few moments later, he picked up a trail and followed it to an old lot where teenagers were playing basketball with a handful of spectators milling around. A few minutes watching the cluster of people, Josh picked out the dealer and made his way over, ignoring the looks he got. Yeah, yeah, he smelled funny.

“Hey.”

The dealer raised a pierced eyebrow.  

“I’m looking for…”

“In the wrong place,” a woman stepped up beside the dealer. She bared her teeth, establishing herself as the alpha of this group.

“I don’t want any trouble.” Josh held up his hands, tilting his head to show his throat. The alpha was not appeased and growled, taking a step closer. Josh took a step back.

“Vampire whore. We don’t want you here. Go before I lose my patience. Don’t ever show your face around here again or I’ll rip it off,” she snarled.

“I’m going. I’m going.” Josh didn’t dare put his back to her so stumbled backwards to the sidewalk. Only once he was around the corner of a building, did he turn forward only to run into two other shifters. Hands grabbed his shoulders to steady him. Josh cowered away, bracing himself for pain, but none came. He glanced up at the other shifter who merely looked curious. His companion merely readjusted his cowboy hat, lowering it over his eyes, his face unreadable.

“Sorry,” Josh muttered, trying to slip past them.

“You reek of vampire,” the taller Hispanic man said before releasing his grip on Josh.

“Job hazard.”

The man laughed. “Tanaya hates vampires. She’s only protecting the cubs. I’m guessing she didn’t give you a chance to explain yourself.”

“Nothing to explain. I’m what she thinks I am.” The man stares at him before making some kind of internal decision.

“Try 5th Street. No vampires there. Or bitchy alphas. There’s a new age shop there that sells medicinal marijuana.”

“Uh, thanks.” The other shifter shrugs then the two men continue on their way. Josh adjusts his duffle bag and quickens his pace in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to linger in Tanaya’s territory longer than he had to and there was no way of telling how much area she claimed as hers.

   

~

     

The herbal scents overwhelmed Josh’s senses causing him to sneeze as he entered, the old fashioned bell on the door ringing overhead. The store appeared empty and the smells were too strong for him to pick up any human’s scent.

“Hello?”

No answer, but there was distinct sounds of someone typing from further inside the store. Josh followed the sounds to the back booth where a young dark skinned woman sat, eyes glued to the laptop screen in front of her.

“Hey, you have a customer seeking assistance.”

The woman raised a finger indicating him to wait. Josh sighed and began looking over the items on the shelf. Most of it looked like useless junk, but there were a few items he suspected of being more than what they seemed at a glance. Finding his way to a locked display case, Josh found the medicinal marijuana. He cringed at the prices displayed and began digging in his pockets for cash.

“Oh!” The woman’s startled cry had Josh glancing over at her. She was staring right at him, eyes wide in surprise. Jumping up from her seat, she approached him with a strange smile on her face. Josh stood still, his nostrils flaring as she came close enough he could catch her scent. Witch.

“Your aura is…wow. I didn’t know it was possible.”

“What?” Her staring was making him uneasy.

“I’m sorry if you came here for marijuana. I can’t sell it to you.”

“Look, I’ll pay double what you’re asking for. In cash.”

“It’s not about the money.” The woman frowned at him. “You don’t know yet.”

“Know what?”

“You’re pregnant.”


End file.
